BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Monday morning marked the first real challenge for the MBTA and Massachusetts roadways during the Orange Line shutdown. The Mass. Department of Transportation released its own map of which intersections to avoid during the shutdown.
MBTA and state transportation officials had given out grim warnings about the traffic impacts of the shutdown in several press appearances before it went live.
The intersections MassDOT identified in its map as hotspots are as follows:
- Wellington Circle
- Sullivan Square
- Rutherford Avenue / Gilmore Bridge
- Gilmore Bridge/Charles River Dam Road
- Leverett Circle
- North Washington Street
- Charles Circle
MassDOT also broke down the worst times to travel in the intersections, which followed along rush hour lines (6:00-9:00 AM, 3:00-6:00 PM).
As of 8:00 AM on Monday morning, the traffic at Wellington Circle, Sullivan and other key intersections was less severe than predicted by MassDOT in its maps. MassDOT had predicted heavy traffic from regional highways, which were roughly as congested as a usual Monday.